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Flight instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a flight instructor. Flight instructors usually study aviation, business, or aerospace engineering. 63% of flight instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,925 real flight instructor resumes to see exactly what flight instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for flight instructors are the University of North Dakota and the University of North Dakota.
There are also many online flight instructor courses to help get the education required to be a flight instructor.
There are certain flight instructor certifications that you should consider. These flight instructor certifications include Instructor and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).
What education do you need to become a flight instructor?
What degree do you need to be a flight instructor?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a flight instructor?
- Aviation, 46%
- Business, 14%
- Criminal Justice, 3%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for flight instructors
| Flight instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Dakota | 12.84% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 8.56% |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach | 8.56% |
| Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology | 7.65% |
| Utah Valley University | 6.42% |
Best majors for flight instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviation | 46.0% |
| 2 | Business | 13.5% |
| 3 | Aerospace Engineering | 9.4% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 3.2% |
| 5 | Psychology | 2.9% |
Best colleges for flight instructors
The best colleges for flight instructors are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A flight instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for flight instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become flight instructors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
20 best online courses for flight instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for flight instructors
The most affordable schools for flight instructors are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for flight instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for flight instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for flight instructors
The hardest universities for flight instructors to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for flight instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for flight instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for flight instructors
The easiest schools for flight instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a flight instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for flight instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
6. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,009
Average flight instructor salary by education level
| Flight instructor education level | Flight instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,637 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,300 |
Flight instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025